Verner's Pride eBook

Ellen Wood (author)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,003 pages of information about Verner's Pride.

Verner's Pride eBook

Ellen Wood (author)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,003 pages of information about Verner's Pride.

“Softly, Lionel,” interrupted Mr. Verner, “there’s no cause for you to break your head against a wheel.  It is not you whom I suspect—­thank God!  But I wish to be sure of your movements—­to be able to speak of them as sure, you understand—­before I accuse another.”

“I will willingly tell you every movement of mine that evening, so far as I remember,” said Lionel, resuming his calmness.  “I came home when dinner was half over.  I had been detained—­but you know all that,” he broke off.  “When you left the dining-room, I went on to the terrace, and sat there smoking a cigar.  I should think I stayed there an hour, or more; and then I went upstairs, changed my coat, and proceeded to Mr. Bitterworth’s.”

“What took you to Mr. Bitterworth’s that evening, Lionel?”

Lionel hesitated.  He did not choose to say, “Because I knew Sibylla West was to be there;” but that would have been the true answer.  “I had nothing particular to do with my evening, so I went up,” he said aloud.  “Mr. Bitterworth was out.  Mrs. Bitterworth thought he had gone into Deerham.”

“Yes.  He was at Deerham when the alarm was given, and hastened on here.  Sibylla West was there, was she not?”

“She was there,” said Lionel.  “She had promised to be home early; and, as no one came for her, I saw her home.  It was after I left her that I heard what had occurred.”

“About what time did you get there—­I mean to Bitterworth’s?” questioned Mr. Verner, who appeared to have his thoughts filled with other things at that moment than with Sibylla West.

“I cannot be sure,” replied Lionel.  “I think it must have been nine o’clock.  I went into Deerham to the post-office, and then came back to Bitterworth’s.”

Mr. Verner mused.

“Lionel,” he observed, “it is a curious thing, but there’s not one of you but might have been the party to the quarrel that night; so, far as that your time cannot be positively accounted for by minutes and by hours.  I mean, were the accusation brought publicly against you, you would, none of you, be able to prove a distinct alibi, as it seems to me.  For instance, who is to prove that you did not, when you were sitting on the terrace, steal across to a rendezvous at the Willow Pond, or cut across to it when you were at the post-office at Deerham?”

“I certainly did not,” said Lionel quietly, taking the remarks only as they were meant—­for an illustration.  “It might, sir, as you observe, be difficult to prove a decided alibi.  But”—­he rose and bent to Mr. Verner, with a bright smile, a clear, truthful eye—­“I do not think you need one to believe me.”

“No, Lionel, I do not.  Is John Massingbird in the dining-room?”

“He was when I left it.”

“Then go and send him to me.”

John Massingbird was found and despatched to Mr. Verner, without any reluctance on his own part.  He had been bestowing hard words upon Lionel for “taking up the time of the old man” just on the evening when he wanted to take it up himself.  The truth was, John Massingbird was intending to depart the following morning, the Fates and Mr. Verner permitting him.

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Project Gutenberg
Verner's Pride from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.